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KENT COUNTY, Mich. — A bull had to be killed after it and a cow escaped from the back of a livestock trailer, running loose along US-131 in Byron Township Tuesday morning.
The bull and the cow escaped around 10:30 a.m. on US-131 near 76th Street, the Kent County Sheriff's Office said. The animals slowed traffic and went onto the exit ramp near Caterpillar Drive.
Deputies and others nearby tried to contain the animals for more than 40 minutes. They were able to secure the cow in a trailer, but the bull continued on, breaking through a fence and heading back toward the freeway.
A woman with cattle experience who tried to lasso the bull was trampled. She suffered minor scratches and bruising.
The owner and deputies agreed to kill the bull as it became more aggressive and a risk to those on the road. A supervisor with the sheriff's office shot the bull with a rifle.
"It was an unfortunate outcome, but after repeated attempts to safely contain the bull, it became necessary to protect the public," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
No one else was hurt.
